Royal Canin Pet Food Case Study
How we helped Royal Canin succeed
The Customer
Founded in 1967, Royal Canin produces pet food that is scientifically designed to meet the unique health needs of cats and dogs. The company is headquartered in Aimargues, France. Royal Canin provides in-store customers with easy-to-use, up-to-date product information to aid product selection.
Royal Canin has worked with breeder partners and veterinary nutritionists to create nutritional solutions that meet the needs of dogs and cats based on their breed, age, and health issues. As a worldwide manufacturer of pet food and veterinary prescriptions for dog and cat nutrition, Royal Canin puts the needs of canines and felines first.
Royal Canin used in-store videos on display stands to inform customers of their product options. Videos were a good way of visually presenting patrons with the best food choices for their beloved pets. However, the information quickly became outdated as new products and offers were constantly released. So, Royal Canin looked for a low-maintenance solution that would be interactive and could quickly and simply provide customers with the latest information about the products specific to their pet.
The Partner
Kiube Mobile is a part of the Eyeplay / Heavyform company merger. They create applications for iPad, iPhone, Android, Bada, and Windows.
The Challenge
Royal Canin wanted to provide customers with easy-to-use, up-to-date product information to aid in product selection. Royal Canin was keen on ensuring that whichever solution they chose would be user-friendly to ensure maximum usage.
Kiube Mobile implemented many Apple iPads in previous projects, utilizing the built-in camera for occasional scanning requirements. However, for Royal Canin's project, Kiube Mobile needed a more robust scanning solution. While searching for an Apple-compatible barcode scanner, Socket Mobile's Apple-certified barcode scanners quickly piqued Kiube's interest.
The slim design of Socket Mobile's barcode scanners meant that the device could be easily integrated into the modified housing of the iPad mounting case. They decided that integrating the barcode scanner was a better option than having it hang from a cable; integrating the scanner would protect it from damage and give it a stable position for the user.
When set to auto-scanning mode, users don't need to manually trigger the device; the scanner's red light remains on, clearly indicating the presence of the scanning facility.
The Socket Mobile Solution
Royal Canin selected Socket Mobile's colorful SocketScan S700 with Bluetooth® wireless technology. The scanner was an ideal option because of its affordable yet powerful 1D scanning engine and the ease with which it could be integrated into the Kioskio STD-SCX application using the CaptureSDK.
Socket Mobile's partner, Kiube Mobile, had just what Royal Canin was looking for in their Kioskio STDSCX solution: an application developed specifically for their business needs. An Apple iPad and barcode scanner are mounted in a modified shelf display and connected to the Internet. This provides the user with an interactive experience and supplies relevant, always current information.
Using the Kioskio STD-SCX solution, customers within the retail environment can approach the Royal Canin display, scan a product barcode with the Socket Mobile S700, and use the touch screen on the Apple iPad to navigate the various options. The system provides useful information to enable the customer to make a fully informed product selection. In addition, the system supports the My Royal Canin Loyalty Card Program. The loyalty program allows customers to collect points with each Royal Canin product purchased. Members can scan their loyalty cards at the kiosk and discover what each product is worth in points and then redeem them in the future to get samples of new products or claim gifts. Even registration for the loyalty program is available at the kiosk.
The Results
Customers can now easily access the latest product information, helping to improve their in-store experience. The application setup provides visibility into customer behaviors and trends, while the streamlined solution enables loyalty program registration and account login.
The versatile S700 barcode scanner supports multiple OS's, providing flexibility for future expansion.
Royal Canin deployed 89 kiosks to stores in Belgium: 15 floor stands and 74 mounted on product shelves.
Although this project specifically required Apple compatibility, Kiube liked the fact that Socket Mobile's barcode scanner is fully compatible with all the major OS's on the market. In case a future client wishes to deploy on an Android or Windows device, they could be confident that the scanner would be suitable.
Royal Canin customers receive a great purchasing experience with Socket Mobile.
